This morning, Dutch newspapers AD and PZC featured stories on the rising popularity of hybrid meat products — a trend that, for those who know the history, is deeply rooted in Zeeland’s pioneering food innovation scene.

Back in 2009, long before “hybrid meat” became a buzzword, Meatless and its founder Jos Hugense were already working on this novel idea: blending meat and high-quality plant-based ingredients to make everyday staples more sustainable without sacrificing taste. That year, then Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries, Gerda Verburg, travelled to Goes, Zeeland, to see this idea in action. Together with Wilfred van den Elzacker from Agrimarkt and Carola Helmendach from Impuls, the team launched the very first consumer-ready hybrid concept — aptly named Meatlight.

At the time, the concept drew national attention: no one had seen such an experiment before. The goal was simple but ambitious — to make it possible for consumers to cut their meat intake without fully giving up the familiar taste and texture of their favourite products. The term hybrid meat was coined in those early days — perhaps not the catchiest branding in hindsight, but it quickly found its way into international food industry vocabulary.

Fast-forward more than fifteen years, and what was once pioneering is becoming part of everyday shopping baskets. Albert Heijn, the Netherlands’ largest supermarket chain, has recently relaunched a new line of hybrid products, this time working with Fidesse, a high-quality fibre ingredient developed by Cosun. This shows that major retailers see hybrid products as a practical step for millions of consumers: easy to try, easy to accept, and impactful for sustainability goals.

Beyond retail, established meat processors like the Van Loon Group also see clear commercial success. Van Loon reports that hybrid meat already makes up about 3% of their total meat sales — a significant share in a market where every percentage point matters.

Meatless, meanwhile, remains at the forefront of this field. It continues to supply cutting-edge plant-based ingredients and know-how for hybrid concepts around the world. From its roots in Zeeland, the company has built more than a decade and a half of experience, making it one of the most technically advanced and reliable partners for food manufacturers seeking to develop products that combine the best of both worlds: the taste of meat and the benefits of plants.

New plant protein sources like field beans (broad beans) are unlocking even better possibilities in taste, sustainability, nutrition, and cost control. What started in a small town in Zeeland with a visionary team and a minister willing to listen has now evolved into a credible pathway to reduce animal protein consumption at scale.

Today, hybrid meat is no longer just an experiment; it’s a bridge to a more balanced protein future — one that Meatless helped build, long before the rest of the market caught up. Looking back, it was pioneering work, driven by a clear belief: if you truly want to replace a substantial share of animal protein in the food chain, mixing meat with plants is the most logical place to start.

And it all began in Zeeland — a testament to how big change can grow from a simple but powerful local idea.